


With Words I Cannot Verbalize

by Furtive



Category: One Piece
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 02:58:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12312483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Furtive/pseuds/Furtive
Summary: Sabo takes part in lots of after school activities, and in one he was assigned to write a poem.Unknowingly he writes a love poem, unfortunately Ace gets his hands on it.





	1. Scratch Paper

With complete lack of interest, Sabo toyed with the colorful mechanical pencil that danced between his fingers. Naturally gifted and hawked by his parents, he was placed in advanced classes all his life. Paying no mind to the lecture in front of him, he drowned out the professor who was purposely speaking with an intense bravado. Nevertheless, he failed to catch Sabo’s attention.  
It wasn’t like he particularly hated school, but to certain degree he hated some aspects of it. His school was not even a private school, yet the advanced classes were treated with such prestige that a veil of superiority arose from the children who took them. Unfortunately, he was grouped with them, of course there were some good apples, but other than that he was lumped with the masses of privileged excellence.  
Instead of listening, the prodigy gazed at his note book, which oddly enough was filled to the brim with a thorough understanding of the materiel and a couple of crude doodles.  
That would definitely earn him an earful, he wondered who would scold him first, his parents or his teacher?

Thankfully, before he had to suffer through anymore needless information about today’s lecture, the joyous ringing of the school bells sang within the buildings walls. Sabo was quick to pack up his belongings into his bag, relieved that the day was finally over. However, his face did not show any sort of excitement, he kept it in a rather annoyed look that would scare anyone off from even thinking about speaking to him.

It was not always successful, considering before he made a run for the door a delicate touch tapped his shoulders. He made no attempt to hide his bothered groan as he turned to see what snotty entitled kid decided to bother him today. To his surprise it was a familiar friendly face, a spunky girl with the odd nickname ‘Koala.’ Her hair was held back with a cute thin headband, and to her side a sporty duffel bag. Her face scrunched up in an adorably angry way,  
“Don’t ugh me Sabo, I haven’t even said anything and you are already giving me lip!”  
“You didn’t even need to say anything.” He teased, a small smile appeared on his previously stern face.

Her hand made a compact fist, punching him in a way she thought was soft and playful.  
“I'm heading to my martial arts practice, but I wanted to give you this,” She unzipped her bag revealing a neat pile of folded clothes, and on top a chilled bottle of sweet tea and two cut sandwiches.  
“I bet you are staying after school today for whatever of the fifty clubs your parents made you join. Or maybe once you go home they’ll make you study for hours without a break, either way I prepared you an emergency ration lunch.” Her words sounded slightly brusque, but they were filled with a lot of care.

They walked towards the door together, making small talk, but an interrupting voice stopped them.  
“Next time I’d like you to pay attention in class Sabo, it be a shame to have your talents amount to nothing.”  
Without looking back the two continued on, Sabo’s fist clenched into a tight ball. Koala’s arm locked with his, dragging him off before he did anything stupid. Quietly, under her breath she spoke, “Hold your fire dragon boy.”

They had soon arrived near the gym area, Koala let out a huge sigh before giving a comforting pat on the back, “Temper, Temper.” 

“Thanks for being there.” The boy beside her had calmed down, his shoulders rolling back and forth as if he was preparing for a fight.

She laughed a bit before responding, “The academic bad boy is as much of a handful as some punk freshmen bully.” She adjusted the strap of her bag, “Okay, try to stay out of trouble for the rest of the day, I got to go to practice and I won't be there to calm you down next time.”

Koala made for the locker rooms, but before she completely disappeared, she turned back to her friend.  
“Oh and charge your phone!” There was an agitated tone in her voice, yet a subtle genuine worry was present. “I ran into Ace, and he said he needed you for something, He said meet him by the usual spot! Bye Sabo!”  
Before he could interject, the energetic busy bee was gone.

 

Ace waited underneath a large, shady tree. He sat on an elongated bench, eyes focused on the very ground his feet stepped on. He kicked gently at a patch of wild flowers, not to destroy them but to give them a sense of movement, stirring them up to dance. After a while the mindless activity bored him, he propped both of his legs up on the bench and reclined back, using his rather empty satchel as a pillow. 

He stared at the small windows the leaves made, spilling small fragments of sunlight on his face that felt very warm. His eyelids quickly became heavy, within seconds he dozed off, bathed in sunlight and a cool breeze, comforting like a blanket.

Not even two minutes had passed and Sabo had approached the sleeping log. Ace, completely unaware of his presence did not move at the slightest rustle of noise. 

“Ace.” He muttered.  
“Ace…?” He tilted his head and took closer steps to him. 

His sleeping friend looked pretty peaceful though, like a picture from some french Rococo painting.

The closer he became, the less he wanted to disturb him. His light brown skin appeared to glow golden under the specks of light, and his messy black hair was free and invited Sabo to run his fingers through it. 

Sabo blushed a bit, understanding he was admiring his… friend a little too keenly.  
He coughed to dispel any of those thoughts and harshly threw his backpack on the stomach of Ace.

“Wake up sleeping beauty.” 

Ace had jetted up, shocked from the sudden bombardment, he held his stomach in pain and glared back at the man before him,  
“What the hell, sleeping beauty got a kiss to wake her up!” His arms swatted at Sabo’s direction, “Not the world's heaviest book bag to the guts.”

Sabo’s mind panicked for a quick second at the mention of a kiss, but he brushed it off as a joke.  
“Like anyone would want to kiss you.”  
“Hehe. Shut up.” Ace pulled out his most obnoxious, loudest voice he could. He lifted himself from his seat and shoved Sabo with his own shoulder. He gave a hearty laugh, “I know you want to.” Their eyes met briefly, but neither wanted to think about it 

For a second, Sabo heard a sense of seriousness in his voice, but maybe he was just imagining things. He looked away and stammered a bit before finding the words he wanted to say. “Yeah yeah, What did you want anyway?” He rolled his eyes and smiled in amusement at the display of ridiculousness. Ace really did help Sabo cheer up after an entire day of meaningless lectures.

“Your attention.” Ace blantaly stated, his voice quieter than usual. His face looked as if it held no secrets, a friendly smile present.

Sabo understood Ace didn’t mean to sound flirtatious, his humor just naturally translated that way. Everything he said had a twinge of teasing in it and it meant nothing, even so he had to calm his beating heart. 

“You have it.” He replied.

“I just wanted to see if my best friend could actually hang today, if he wasn’t swamped with his slave work. I thought maybe we could chill at the park, and if Luffy isn’t with his friends already maybe we can all go somewhere? I’m pretty hungry, so we could grab a bite before we head out.” 

Sabo frowned, that really did sound like a lot of fun. Even if it was just to sit on a swing set at a dumb park, he wanted to go. If it weren’t for his parent’s higher standards, maybe he could slack off a bit. ‘Slave work’ really wasn’t putting it lightly, that is what it felt like. More endless work on top of more after school activities, on top of this and that and this. Sabo didn’t want to do any of this stuff, but his parents loved to live through him. Hell, even the activities he liked to do as hobbies seem to be muddled by his parents wishes. 

“Ace I really want to, I would but…” A weak voice trailed off, pain in his chest.

“But you are busy.”

“I’m sorry”

Ace sighed, quickly shaking his head and forcing a smile. “Nah what do you have to be sorry for. I kinda knew the answer already anyways.” His arms reached to the sky, stretching out a yawn.  
A sudden silence swept the two. Sabo was somewhat scared to break it but his mind told him to speak, say anything.  
“ I-I have advanced writing lessons today, I can’t ditch them because the teacher always reports to my dad, but they end earlier than all my other tutorials, but my parents don’t know that. They think all my lessons end at 6, but really my writing never goes past 4.”

Ace looked dumbfounded for a bit but caught on soon after, his grin looked more natural, less forced. “Okay I’ll wait around, I did have detention but screw that. No way in hell i’m going if Akainu is supervising.”

“You never go in the first place.”

“That is actually why I got detention again, something about ‘failing to follow disciplinary instructions’ and all that.” Ace looked right at Sabo, sort of in an apologetic way. He nudged him to console his earlier sadness, Sabo reacted positively and chuckled lightly. “Any ways, you should be heading to your dumb lessons, faster you get your business done the sooner we can hang out.”  
They said their goodbyes for the mean time, Ace watched quietly as his friend left for the school.  
With only himself as company, Sabo thought what he was going to write about today. Some days were funner than the other, when his teacher let him write whatever he wanted instead of ordering him to follow a prompt was when he had the best time.

He remembered a silly idea he had as a kid, he wanted to write a book, be something of a famous kid’s author. Sabo still enjoys writing, but only when he finds the time to. When he is forced he feels like a fool, a puppet with tangled strings who refuses to perform.

However, his thoughts were occupied by interrupting ideas. He couldn’t really think about what he wanted to write about, something kept flooding his mind.  
Or someone he should say.


	2. Another Man's Trash...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabo and Ace hang out.  
>  Sabo isn't careful...

He was given fifteen minutes to construct a free form poem, Sabo didn’t mind this type of assignment at all. There was no structure to follow, no limited rhyme scheme, no unnecessary volta, just words on a paper. Maybe the teacher sensed how Sabo’s mind was occupied by other thoughts and decided to throw him a bone. However, he did give one requirement, the topic must be along the theme of ‘affection.’ 

Sabo groaned, he almost protested that this assignment couldn’t be done because he had no relation to it. The teacher didn’t seem to care, giving him a glare. Despite his complaining, Sabo got to work.

Usually with these after school activities, he would half ass the whole assignment, but today he felt creative. 

His pencil ran across the paper, the words spilled out easily. His hand became smudged with lead as he glided over the page. He did not even know himself what he was writing, for he was elsewhere, lost in his own thoughts.

‘Today looks like a nice day.’

‘I am kinda hungry, i wonder if Koala put turkey or ham in the sandwiches.’

‘What is Luffy doing right now?’

‘What about Ace?’

‘Oh wait, he is waiting for me.’

His paper became fuller with ideas, yet Sabo couldn’t think what was being written. His mind was still wandering, but it became stuck on one idea. Though the boy would not notice it.

‘I can’t wait to hang out with him today.’

‘I don’t care where we go, I just want to have fun.’

‘Maybe I can share my sandwich him him, he is probably hungry.’

‘I bet Ace is asleep somewhere right about now.’

‘He should just go home... but i’m glad he wants to wait for me.’

“Time is up Sabo.” 

The teacher spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts, Sabo looked up to meet the eyes of the stern man. His fingers motioned him over, suggesting a slight interest in what he wrote.

He did not even check over his work, in his mind he cursed the teacher. Whatever rough draft he held in his hands, no matter how raw and ugly, was going to be what he saw. He didn’t care if it appealed to him, or even if he was going to like it.  
He walked over, showing some defiance in the rate it took him to meet him. He dropped the paper onto the desk, looking back at him, awaiting his response. Sabo awaited the critical analysis of his work, something along the lines of displeasure. 

The teacher seemed unfazed by the attitude he displayed, he reached for the paper and began to read its contents.  
He stayed silent as he read it, making no comments, for some unknown reason this unsettled Sabo.  
After finishing it up, he returned his attention to the young student before him.  
“For fifteen minutes, this is pretty good, fine work indeed Sabo.” His words were rather encouraging but soon disrupted, “If only you put this much effort in class more often.” 

He tried not to let it bother him though, for some reason the praise was what he secretly wanted.

The remaining time, Sabo spent reading academically renowned poets that followed a similar theme. He left promptly a little bit after 3:45. Earlier than expected.  
In his hand he held his work, he grasped it a little too tightly like it was his treasure. 

‘I’m glad that went exactly as planned.’ He stepped out of the classroom, his steady walking turned to fast pacing, then to running. His excitement was apparent. Unknown to himself, Sabo was also very nervous. He made his escape down the hall, almost bumping into many students and teachers along the way. Some of them appeared irritated, but their anger would dissipate once they saw the boy's mind was elsewhere.  
‘I wonder if he’s waiting for me there again.’  
In his mind, he envisioned a greeting Ace, smiling vibrantly as he sat on the bench. A soft pink blush grazed his cheek.  
‘It is kinda rude of me to make him wait like that. I should buy him a drink for the trouble… Soda? Or would that weirdo want milk?’

Sabo laughed to himself, and continued on.  
‘I’ll treat him later, maybe we can go to the convenience store next to the park so he can choose.’

Finally, he made it to the side of their court yard, slightly obscured and a tall tree looming over landmarked their hang outs. Running up, he spotted Ace, surprisingly he was awake.  
Sabo found himself out of breath, placing his hands on his knees attempting to compose himself. In his hand he still held onto the poem he wrote, it became slightly crumpled on the trip over. Ace eyed the mysterious paper, “Hey blondie, what cha got there? A love letter?”  
Sabo felt his heart jump, he didn't even remember what the paper contained, but nonetheless he became defensive.  
“Who said I wrote it about you?” He stammered a bit.  
Ace’s eyebrows hitched up slightly in shock.  
“I mean, I no! No its nothing like that.” Sabo clenched the sheet tightly, unzipping his duffle bag and rushed to stuff it away. He laughed it off trying to keep up some unknown charade, too embarrassed to look at Ace for a bit, not noticing a slight drop of his smile. Ace just the same wrote off the situation, chuckling he asked,  
“Yeah yeah yeah, you are a beautiful, and I am unworthy of your love!” He dramatically threw his hands around Sabo, “So prince charming, where may this villager whisk you off too before mommy and daddy find out?” 

Their faces were a bit close.

“I just want to be in your company.” Sabo slipped out.

“What?” 

Ace’s hands were warm.

“Y-Yeah after all that work I just need to be with my friend. Hanging out, causing trouble.”

Sabo’s cheeks looked soft.

“Oh. Oh yeah of course!” Ace suddenly removed his grasp on him, “Corner store it is then!” He jetted off before Sabo could say anything. Sabo tailed after him.

 

The two boys returned to their usual playful demeanor in the store, parading around like children in a candy store. The store clerk yelled at them a couple of times, keeping an eye on them the whole time they were there. They would purposely hide behind aisles just to make the clerk uneasy.  
After a while their games ceased and they approached the front to purchase their snacks.  
Ace picked milk tea and bread. Sabo just added a bag of chips to the mix, considering he had already received food from Koala to eat later. Sabo offered to pay, and Ace gratefully accepted, since he had left his wallet at home. Trying to remain humble, he insisted that Sabo not get him anything, but his grabby hands betrayed his facade. Ace did that cute act of mannerisms he learned from Makino a long time ago, apologizing sternly as he bowed. He offered to pay him back but Sabo denied him.

“13.89...” The annoyed clerk spoke from behind the counter, barely audible as the desk fan next to him drowned out his voice.

He unzipped his duffle bag, rummaging through the mess of his own design, pulling out exact change. Sabo however, did not notice that it wasn’t just money that escaped his bag. Without knowing, the poem he wrote landed on the floor in the midst of him finding his money. Ace on the other hand had full attention on the crumpled note, recognizing what it was.

Sabo attempted to make amends with the worker by engaging in small talk, but they were not having it. While he was occupied, Ace reached for the paper. While he was near the floor, his eyes looked up once or twice, he felt as if he was doing something racy, it certainly felt like the case. If this was the same paper Sabo made a big fuss about, maybe he wasn’t supposed to see it. But why? That is what killed him, so of course his naturally curious soul had to know!  
Ace pushed the note deep into his rather empty bag’s pockets, he would read it later.  
Admittedly he felt a little bad, maybe he was overstepping his best friend’s personal space, but why was it that Sabo got so embarrassed? 

Was it really a love letter? 

Who did Sabo Like?

Was he overthinking this?

 

Sabo and Ace strolled along the edge of the street, focusing on their feet as they walked down the sunny path. Their conversation was small talk about the day they had when they were not together, since their classes didn’t line up at all. 

The park was up ahead and with that the two halted their conversations to settle on nearby swings. Ace took this time to finally snack on the food Sabo blessed him with and gulped it all down in seconds. He stared back at his best friend in confusion. 

“You ain’t eating?”

“No i’ll save it for later, I’m not hungry now.”

“Later huh…” Ace stuffed the trash in his backpack. He gazed at the floor, kicking the dirt around, scuffing his white shoes indefinitely. He couldn’t explain it but at that moment, Ace felt powerless. Bringing his eyes back up to Sabo, he knew that once he went home it was back to work. Nothing that boy ever did was good enough for his parents. 

“What’s wrong man, you looked sad for a second.” Sabo playfully punched him on the arm, rustling the rusty chains enough to squeak an ungodly noise. He didn’t respond immediately, only meeting his eyes with a pout.

“Let’s go do something funner man, maybe fuck around and see what Luffy is up to, or play video games at my house, maybe check in on Makino at the cafe.” With a sudden shift in mood, Ace sprung up with a wide smile. He grabbed the other boy’s hand with determination, yanking him so hard out of swing, he almost fell into Ace.

“Wh-what why?”

 

Diverting his attention to three nearby children at play fumbling and laughing as they kicked around a soccer ball, he spoke,  
“I feel maybe you are not having fun right now, maybe you could be having more fun doing something else and I’m wasting your only hours of freedom away.” 

“Do you really think that?”

Puffing his freckled cheeks, Ace looked away again.  
“Just say if i’m wrong or right dammit…”

“You are wrong, idiot.”

“Don’t be mean about it! Mr. advanced placement classes!” He rose his voice louder without realizing it, gaining stares from the playing children. They laughed a bit, whispering a bit to each other.

“Okay okay, i’m sorry!” He chuckled, “But seriously I’m having fun now. I always do when i’m with you.”

 

A ball came rolling to them, hitting their feet, one of the boys retrieving the item looked up at them. “Are you two dating? Can you kiss somewhere else?”

Ace and Sabo, wide eyed spun to each other. Like looking into a mirror, both their faces were equally as shocked, and painted over red. 

“We are not dating!” They mimicked.

The little boy’s friend in the back chimed in, “Then why are you holding hands!”

The pair locked onto their hands, which were still indeed interlocked. They quickly untangled.

Ace began to stomp away from the site, pulling the Sabo’s sleeve, at a comfortable distance from actually holding his hand again. “Mind your business twerps!” The three boys began to chant, cooing cutesy words, teasing them for being in love. Or what they thought to be.

“Stupid idiot kids!” Ace gritted his teeth, furiously blushing, he could feel the heat rising from his face. His grip felt tight, but shaky. Nervous nonetheless, he retreated, wanting to get far away from the mocking children. 

“I don’t know we were probably like them when we were younger,” an airy chuckle rose from the golden haired boy. His eyes traced Ace’s broad shoulders, noticing he was tense,then all the way down to his own hand, “Ah you can let go now Ace.”

“R-right. Sorry.”

“You look a little worked up.”

Ace’s freckles seemed to disappear in the midst of the red; his eyebrows furrowed, a small pout appeared.

“It’s nothing.”

“Did those kids upset you? Don’t worry no one thinks we are together. In fact most people think Makino is your secret older girlfriend.” Sabo laughed but he looked a bit uncomfortable, he toyed his his fingers a bit.

“That isn’t it! Plus Makino is more of a sister to me!” Again, with no clue how to control his voice, Ace roared. He stared at him with such intensity, looking back into the pools of blue. They seemed to capture him, If Ace didn’t look away, he was going to drown. They peered into his heart, he felt like something inside was on fire. 

...

“Hey Sabo, do you like anyone?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want to make this longer but i am not sure, i have ideas for how i want to do this but honestly i lack the motivation. i had this story on the back burner for a while actually so i just wanted to post it in its current state


	3. In My Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace and Luffy read the mystery paper.

Sabo’s heart accelerated a bit, a ringing sensation hit his ear.

“W-what?”

He didn’t respond right away, only staring at the black haired boy now. His palms were ripe with sweat that he couldn’t just wipe off, he didn’t want to seem uneasy.

Ace looked unapologetically intrusive, awaiting an answer, “Come on you can tell me.” Almost wasting no time, Ace scooted in a little closer, “I’ll tell you who i like if you tell me who you like.” He couldn’t help it, he hadn’t even read the letter but it must have held something good if Sabo tried his hardest to keep it clandestine. It had to be a love letter. There could've been other explanations, sure, but Ace was really leaning toward the idea that it was his secret confessions. Somehow the idea made him excited, but nonetheless, nervous.

“I simply can’t do that.”

“Why not? You can trust me! Just as much as i would trust you!”

Sabo couldn't stand that idea for a second, it wasn’t a good trade in his eyes. He would truly rather stay blind and ignorant than willingly know what beautiful girl Ace had the hots for. No matter how curious he was, he knew it would burn to find out. Even now it pained him, and he knew later that is all that would be on his mind.  
Why did he feel so transparent? It was like he was an open book that Ace already read previously.  
This situation had suddenly felt very nerve-wrecking, he didn't want Ace to find out about his feelings, and he didn’t care for Ace’s unrequited assurance.  
Sabo felt a deep twinge in his stomach.

“I would never tell you such an intimate detail!” Sabo said in hysteria suddenly, his voice a little too brash. Immediately he regretted his ill choice in words, noticing Ace took it the wrong way. Perhaps as mistrust on Sabo’s end. “Wait, uh, i just meant-”

“Nah it’s cool man.”  
Ace turned his eyebrows upward, brushing off the cruel detail he secretly hung on to. He shook his head and laughed a bit, “You don’t have to tell me, I get it. It’s top secret info. Besides I… didn’t have anyone in mind anyway, I lied about that. So it is understandable you wouldn’t want to tell me! Ha, guess you saw through that!”

Ace turned away, kicking the rubble underneath his shoe.

“So...you don’t really like anyone then?” Sabo dared to ask.

“...” Ace has hesitated a bit, to Sabo it had looked like he was thinking.  
“Nah…I-I lied.”

 

A Brush of silence swept through the air for a split moment, quickly exiting right after it took a foot in. 

The sky was getting darker and darker above, the boys gazed at each other as the street lights began to shine in the dying dusk. They decided to drop the conversation and head home. Ace walked a little ways down the road with Sabo till they reached his neighborhood, which just was fitting for people like Sabo’s parents, bougie and upscale. The scenery wasted no time slowly transitioning from the boonies, instead was like a drastic cut off. 

Ace didn’t like it there, he felt like he didn’t belong, and all the resident’s stares engraved that feeling. Despite that, Ace walked him home everyday, to a certain point. He never dared being even 5 blocks from Sabo’s house. Only because that meant he could run into Sabo’s Dad, or their friends, and it would mean Sabo got the bad end of the stick. 

The two departed, almost kissing their goodbyes, lingering in each others company. Sabo never tells Ace, but his curfew is much earlier than he lets on to be, but he doesn’t mind the heat from his father if it means more time with his friend. However, today they left each other's presence a bit sooner than they usually do.

Sabo entered his house, and the only thing replaying in his head was that pause Ace had before he answered if he had liked anyone.

Ace had walked down the back streets of the town, and in his pockets, he played with a folded piece of scrap paper. His eyes fixated on counting stars in the sky.

Something was stuck on their minds, little did they know it was the other boy who respectfully occupied the other’s thoughts.

Ace returned to his apartment, his eyes were heavy, he felt as if he could fall asleep any moment. He was ready to throw himself onto his couch, without a care how stiff his back would be in the morning. His tired hands let his belongings rest on the ground near the front door, he would pick them up later. Ace, almost leaping into the worn down embrace of the couch, stopped half way noticing a familiar figure already occupying the space.

Luffy was there, scrolling through his phone. It seemed he was busy texting his 8+ person group chat, all his closest friends constantly bugging each other every waking hour of the day. Ace, despite having an unexpected guest, was not in the least bit surprised. Having Luffy over, even on short notice, was almost an everyday thing. 

He sat in the crevice between Luffy and the couch, sprawled on top of him with his long legs. Luffy had let out a deep breath of air, followed by a struggling voice,  
“Ace… get off… of me.”

“Then don’t take up the whole dang couch Lu, scoot over!” He said, scrambling Luffy’s already unkempt hair into a further mess.  
Luffy crawled from underneath Ace, kicking his feet to help him get away. Luffy ,finally free from his trap, sat up and gave Ace a childish glare. Luffy was about to turn his attention back to his phone, but he had seen the small slip of paper hanging out of the lounging Ace’s pockets. 

“What is this?” Luffy inquired as he snatched the slip from Ace.

Ace wide eyed attempted to catch the boy before he could act any further but he slipped away with the sheet. His eyes scanned it but quickly his face showed no clue what to make of it. He squinted his eyes and stared at Ace with a look of disgust on his face, “Is this about love? What is this, it's so mushy! Did you write this?”

Instantaneously, Ace snatched it back. His long fingers poking holes into the younger boys head, “No you dummy, I found it at school!” He managed to say.

“Is it about Law?”

“Get serious!”

“Maybe Boa?”

Ace paused, the pits of his stomach felt like they were lined with scratches. His words seemed to stop halfway in his throat. “What makes you say that?”

“Have you looked at it?”

Ace’s hands tightly gripped the thin paper; setting his eyes on it felt forbidden. There may have been answers written inside that he never wanted to know. He unfolded it anyways, little by little. He began to see neatly written letters appear on the page. Something inside him stirred frantically. He couldn’t focus on the entire thing, but his eyes caught key phrases to unlock the mystery in his head.

‘Ebony strands-’

‘-delicate, yet fierce.’

‘Under their eye….’

Ace pulled the paper away from his eyes, still peeking at it even as it was stretched away from him. He couldn't bare read the whole thing, but those phrases dug into his brain, even as he closed his eyes, those words etched for eternity on the back of his eyelids. 

“It has to be her Luffy! You are right!” He burst into nervous laughter, rubbing the back of his neck with shaking hands. “Why wouldn’t it be! She is gorgeous!” He faced Luffy for a bit, he wondered if he was yelling.

“Ace?”

Ace had thrown the paper out of his hands with anger, yet it fell delicately on the floor. Fluttering in place. His legs gave out and he slumped low into the couch, still rambling on without skipping a beat, “Her dark pretty hair, her delicate body, her fierce gaze. Her fucking tall ass amazon height, the woman is a model! She is the prettiest upperclassman I know.”

Luffy went to grab the sheet again, wondering why he wasn't reacting the same way Ace was after reading it. The second time he had looked at it, he noticed it a familiar text; one he had seen in many last minute cram sessions with Sabo. He drew his attention back to Ace, still holding many questions in his head.

Ace wore a pout on his face, he tried to reform it many times into a smile matching his nervous laughter, but his feelings betrayed him entirely.

“Ace, are you okay?”

He looked back, answering the question with only a fake toothy smile.

After he had calmed himself, Ace excused himself. He told Luffy about the contents of his fridge and disappeared into his room. 

Luffy, strangely enough, felt he couldn’t eat at the moment. He stared at the wooden door that safely hid Ace and crumbled the note into his backpack. He quietly left Ace’s house, respecting that he wanted to be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgive me for my lack of motivation, ill probably end up drawing the rest if im too busy with school...


	4. Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace is acting weird, Sabo in uncomfortable. As per usual when your love interest doesn’t get that you like them back.

The next day Ace couldn’t think straight. His mind was flooded by thoughts of the poem that he kept inside of his school binder, it was folded and taped in the back, and why he decided to keep it on him was a mystery. It’s presence alone was enough to make him feel nervous, of course because he was carrying something he was definitely not supposed to see. Not only that but it held a secret: who Sabo’s affection lies in. 

“Hey Ace!” 

He turned around to see Sabo running right at him, in his hand a plastic bag that contained his lunch. Ace had forgotten to pack lunch for the day, it had slipped his mind completely considering his waking thought was Sabo.   
The blonde boy had slapped him on the back playfully when he finally caught up, abruptly stopping besides his long time friend. His curly hair had bounced in front of his eyes with a joyful spring. Ace, with out much thought, pushed his hair back with his fingers and tucked them behind Sabo’s ear. Neither of them displayed any indication that what just happened affected them in any way, but in reality they both struggled at steadying their beating hearts. 

“Where are we eating?” Sabo interjected rather quickly.

“The usual place.”

 

The two sat on the bench they shared often, under a beautifully grown tree where sunlight filtered through like tiny beads. Ace seemed rather quiet, reflecting in thought. Sabo picked up on this, but he did not try to pry. Instead he handed him an iced coffee, 

“You know for as often as you fall asleep in class, I think you need this more than I do.” Sabo laughed at his own remark. After Ace took the drink, Sabo wiped the water droplets on his uniformed sweater vest. 

“Thanks.” Was all he could reply, somehow he found his words stuck in his throat. He wanted to say something but he feared the answer he may receive. Yet...

“Sabo. Boa is pretty hot, huh?” 

Not yet responding to his question, Ace heard the hard gulp of Sabo attempting to swallow his food, with a side of coughing. He was taken aback by the question but nonetheless remained as calm as he could. Displaying a false image of interest in the question as he gripped the underside of his thigh. Finally responding to Ace he said,

“Uh... yeah she’s pretty stunning.”

“Her hair is really silky and dark. Nice right?”

“Very eye catching.”

“And her eyes? Could pierce anyone through the heart, i think.”

“Yes...”

Sabo eyed the ground, suddenly he felt uncomfortable. He was very aware of his surroundings, and unfortunately aware of how his body was reacting. Never in his life had he felt so stiff and shaken up. Many ideas popped into his mind how he could escape this current situation, oh how we wanted to run away. Even so he stayed, bearing the onslaught of Ace’s rapid questioning. He looked back to meet his dear friend, confronting him.

Ace seemed to stare angrily at Sabo, his eyebrows were turned downward. He spoke with sadness in his voice, 

“She only has eyes for Luffy, you know that right?” 

Sabo didn’t know how to react. Did he... see her that way? It was only natural, she was the talk of the school. Her sisters and acquaintances all seemed to radiate beauty with every step they took. In his mind, he concluded Ace must have been upset that he could not have her, and that Luffy was lucky enough to receive her affection. Coming to this final train of thought gave Sabo a feeling he had never felt before, his heart could tear in half right about now. 

“Sabo, just give up your feelings for her!” 

Sabo, with his scarred face, looked back with an unknowing pout. Ace read this as sadness, and lack of support by his friend. They both remained in silence, thinking about what to say next. 

The blonde, ready to dispel any misconception, was interrupted before any response.

“No, wait. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m saying. To be honest, I don’t even know why I said that. And right now? I’m just saying the first thing that is coming to my mind. Sorry Sabo, I...” 

Ace nonchalantly rose up, quiet again with out explaining his outburst. His voice calmed again, and he offered a smile to Sabo, however weak it may be. 

“Never mind it’s nothing. Gotta go, class is starting soon.” 

With that the bell rang, a sign of an ending lunch period and the continuation of classes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not touching this work in forever, here is a mini chapter if any of you have been waiting. I want to get to writing this again.


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabo and Ace are finally left to confront the situation at hand.

“He said WHAT.” Koala’s whisper rises a little too high, making the librarian shoot a glance at her direction. She bows her head with out saying a word, apologizing. She turns back to Sabo, who seems more distressed by the second. He looks embarrassed by the fact that she caused a bit of people to stare back at the two, raising his finger to his lips.

“Shhh! Please Koala not so loud.” He pleads. Afterwards, he covers his face with his hands, as if he was shielding himself from the truth as he saw it. “It’s just what I said, Ace...” Muffling himself even more as he speaks into his palms, “Has no interest in me.” 

“I just don’t... understand!” Raising herself off the chair, she scoots in closer to the table. “Why her? He never even talks to her!” 

Sabo peaked through his fingertips, separating them slightly to look back at his friend, and seemed just as shocked as she was. “I... should’ve guessed this would be the outcome. I was presumptuous. Being good friends for years means nothing in the presence of Boa Hancock’s beauty!” 

“Are you sure? 

“You should’ve heard what he said.” Dreadfully, he added. Not wanting to look directly at the girl, instead he began to fiddle with the strings of his backpack. Looking at the boy, Koala understood there was great grief welling up in him. Sabo did not even attempt to hide his sadness, he just continued to distract himself from the situation.

At loss for words, Koala just sighs and rests her face on her chin. A quick moment of silence washed over the two, unable to make sense of the news. 

Resonating throughout the school, a dismissive bell sounds off. Quietly, they stand and proceed out the library with their classmates, and embark to the last few periods of the day. Realizing that the two were separating after this class, Koala hugged Sabo goodbye. Before leaving, she grasped his shoulders, looked him in the eyes, and silently signaled that everything would turn out fine. Hurrying away, she disappeared into the busy crowd. 

Watching the bustling bodies around him, yet to move, he wonders what his next course of action is. There was still an hour left of class, but after that he would have to come to face with Ace. 

‘Hey after school, don’t wait up for me, I’ll be a bit late.’   
He texted on his phone, quickly sending the message to Ace before thinking about it.

He wanted to run away as far as he could, but there was no where to go. It was Friday. 

Every Friday he would gather with Ace and Luffy for mini study sessions, they would help each other out for a couple of hours and then Sabo had to go home. Of course it was more of Sabo tutoring the two helpless boys, and lying to his parents about his whereabouts. 

He seriously considered canceling plans, but who was he kidding? Friday’s were the days where he could spend quality time with his friends with out being hounded by his parents. As far as they know, he is still in the debate club, and they still meet at the end of each school week. In reality it was just Ace and Luffy’s Sabo Days. To selfishly back out of it just so he could run and cry about his problems seemed like the worst course of action.   
Besides, he had no right to avoid and scorn Ace just because of his obvious lack of attraction to him. 

Elsewhere- two boys walked out earlier than scheduled, dismissing themselves before any bell could sound the school yards. Ace had stolen away Luffy from his classes and they both skipped out the rest of the day. The older boy bribed him with snacks, treating him to whatever he wanted from the nearby corner store. Even if it meant denting a significant amount in his wallet, if Luffy was happy that’s all he cared about. The store clerk glanced up and questioned their presence for only a moment, dismissing his care after concluding that delinquent kids were not his responsibility.   
After purchasing their items, the two left and made for Ace’s house.

Ace was being uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes appeared serious as he was lost in thought. Luffy, picking up on difference, began to probe into the older boy’s mind.  
“Hey, did you want a meat bun? Or a sandwich?” He asked, all while stuffing his own face with the treats that he was so lucky enough to receive.

Reacting a bit late, Ace turned his head to him to show he was kind of listening. He hummed, questioning his energetic underclassman. Unfortunately, his mind was occupied by something else, so he didn’t catch what Luffy had said. “Pops ain’t home, he had another doctors appointment to go to , so don’t worry about being too loud.” Ace unknowingly ignoring the question, looked at the boy and turned his eyes back to the road ahead of them.   
They had finally made it to their destination.

The two entered, they took off their shoes and tossed their bags on the couch. Taking the time to unwind before he had to face his swelling jealousy that would soon surface, Ace made way for the couch. He laid back, his head resting on the back of the sofa, and his feet propped on the coffee table. ‘Bad manners’ he thought in his head, but couldn’t correct himself at the moment.   
Luffy watched the obvious display of a wound up Ace and knew something was troubling him, but he couldn’t tell for his life what it was. 

Annoyed by his failure to grasp the situation, Luffy decided to find out what it was once and for all. He stomped to where Ace rested and stood behind the sofa. Looming over him, Ace opened his eyes to meet the angry boy’s face. 

“What?” He asked.

Pouting, Luffy slapped Ace’s cheeks and cupped his face. The other boy let out a yell, kicking up his feet in the air. Luffy held Ace still, not removing his grasp from his head. 

“What he hell Luffy?”

“Why are you sad Ace? Why won’t you tell me? I offered you my food and you still looked upset!” 

Ace pulled away, sitting back up on the couch. Rubbing his face to ease the pain, he contemplated what he was going to say. Knowing Luffy, the only way he was going to let up was by telling the truth. Unable to outright say, Ace found himself covering the bottom half of his face in embarrassment. Half to obscure the blush, half to keep incoherent words from slipping through his mouth. 

“Sabo...” His voice muffled behind his hand, “doesn’t like me. But... I like him.”

His heart winced at himself admitting it out loud, nearly stopping all together. A free hand next to him clawed at the couch, desperately trying to remain grounded. Unable to find more words to say, Ace glanced back at Luffy who looked even more puzzled than before.

“Huh? Why wouldn’t Sabo like you ? Did you make him mad? Just apologize dummy. Then you both can go back to liking each other.” Luffy stated, throwing around ideas like it was as simple as he implied. It was obvious the young boy still did not fully grasp what Ace had said. 

The freckled boy pinched the corners of his eyes, swallowing his building frustration and calmed himself. Focusing again on Luffy, he sighed and began explaining from the start.

“No Luffy, I mean I like Sabo, like how boyfriends do. But he doesn’t like me, he likes Boa... Like boyfriends do. So I’m out of luck.”

Luffy was quiet for a moment, “Boa is nice.” He smiled. “But I think Ace is an idiot.”   
A chuckle rose up from him. 

“What does THAT mean! Does everyone like Hancock better than me? Even my own bro?” 

“No you idiot!”  
Luffy erupted in laughter, this time with more volume. He made no attempt to hide his amusement, convincing the other boy that there was something he wasn’t seeing. Ace’s cheeks grew pink with embarrassment as he was unable to retort with anything back. 

“W-whatever.”

Nearby, an anxious Sabo trekked alone. Slowly chugging along on the road, he played with the ends of his backpack to entertain himself.   
He knew he was nearing Ace’s house, but his legs refused to move any faster, like they were made of lead. Maybe at the pace he was going he could fix his attitude before it could be questioned by he boy he laid his unrequited affections. 

It felt like no use, even as he tried to convince himself he was okay with the rejection, his heart said otherwise. There was no one in this world that Sabo could love more than Ace, it was always him. 

Walking this familiar road was one big reminder, making it harder for him to pretend. Down this street we’re plenty of memories, accidental hand brushing, vent sessions, and inside jokes. His entire life, well the parts he actually cared about, had been made worth living because this one stretch of pavement. 

All because of Portgas D. Ace. With his strong firm hands that would playfully slap the his back that set him in fire, and the soothing voice that would calm him right back down. Cool, deep eyes that pierced his heart, and played with each individual string inside him. The same boy that he loved since he was a young child looking for a friend, displaced into a new town. Ace was the first one to accept him into his life, if he had known the first day they met that the deep love he had kindled for years would consume him and eat at him- cause him so much pain- would he have ran away?

Could he turn his heel, and escape it all? 

Sabo’s feet stopped in their place, he had reached the staircase that belonged to a certain freckled boy. Breathing in sharply before entering, he prepared for the worst this day had to offer. He placed a soft knock on he door, one that lead to zero response inside. Attempting once more, this time with more volume, he knocked knowing it was too late to flee. 

Behind the door, shuffling could be heard. The heavy door seemed to unlock after someone had messed with the locks for a short while. As it opened, a voice inside yelled in anticipation. 

“Is that Sabo?” A cheerful boy he had recognized as Luffy said. 

Which means... opening this door was,

“Oh hey Sabo.” Ace had looked him up and down, he moved out of the way and let him in. Not focusing completely on him, he had brushed passed him and walked into the kitchen. Ace, riddled with nervousness, had approached the fridge. Shaking hands grasped the door handle, hidden thankfully behind a wall that separated the two rooms, he cleared his throat and prepared his question.

“Are you guys thirsty or something?”

Luffy answered back quickly, agreeing to being parched, along with the demand of some snacks. Sabo on the other hand, politely declined. 

Ace arrived moments later with one hand carrying a couple bags of chips, and in the other was bottles of water. He assumed that Sabo would want to drink something later, so he grabbed an extra one just in case.

/

The three commenced their studies, on other days it was more rambunctious, but today seemed tame. Neither Ace nor Sabo attempted speaking to one another. Luffy, who by this time would be laughing his head off, had been rather silent. With a bored look on his face, he finally began to cave. He sunk to the floor, bringing down a bag of chips with him. Letting out a groan, he made it clear to the other two how peeved he was.

Sabo tilted his head under the table, he found Luffy lying down already fast asleep. After he appeared back into view from Ace, the two heard a loud snore to confirm how gone he really was. However, that was the only noise that came from Luffy, after that he became quiet and continued to peacefully rest.

The other two quickly noticed it was only them remaining, awkward and unprepared, they began to occupy their hands with things on the table. Sabo picked his language arts book back up and pretended he was going back to a paragraph he abandoned. Ace, unable to act inconspicuous, began to shift random papers side to side. 

The two seemingly danced around, at all costs avoiding whatever needed to be said.   
Silence, growing thicker and thicker, cascaded over the air. Annoying tapping of a pencil, and nervous lip smacking instead accompanied the space. 

Worried and afraid, Ace continued to make such noises. He deliberately made busy work of nothing, just to give him an excuse to not speak. When he looked back at a studious Sabo, he saw a stiff and uncomfortable boy. His posture was similar to when he saw him with his parents, when he pretended to be perfect, like everything was okay. That’s when he knew something definitely was wrong, and he could no longer avoid it.

He had to be the first to break the tension.

“Hey Sabo.” Without thinking, he kept forward a bit. Leaning now on the table, knowing that just talking meant that he could answer him with out looking. He had to make himself known.

Sabo, reacting just the way Ace wanted, had been startled but did look up. 

“Yes Ace?” He formally responded.

Carefully, analyzing his next move, Ace ponders for a second. He recognizes that Sabo looks afraid himself, almost as if he didn’t want to be disturbed. The look he sees vanishes and he tries to display a more confident one. A stern face that for some reason has a defensive look to it. 

“Can you help me? With some homework.”

“Sure...” 

The tan freckled skin Sabo had studied for years pulled out a white piece of paper from his pocket, its been crumpled and a bit stained but seemed to have been smoothed out. His hands unraveled the normal lined paper, and he looks over at it to confirm it to be what he was looking for. Fiery, determined eyes pierce Sabo as he hands it over.

“I just need some help figuring out what the meaning behind this poem is.”

Sabo reached for the paper that laid on the table, swiftly retrieving it. His milky, scarred fingers delicately pick up the object, as if it were going to crumble. As soon as he read the contents of the paper, he knew what it was. Wide eyed, unexpected to see what he did, Sabo blushes and looks back and forth between the paper and the man he admires clandestinely. 

“Wh- what do you mean? Where did you-“

“Who is the girl that the author loves? Is she really so beautiful?” Ace states, a cold twinge of feelings rely on his words.

“Girl? Ace this poem...”

“When I read it, I could feel the connection between the admirer, and the muse. How long do you think the author held these feelings in for?” 

Sabo panicking, felt a rapid fire of questions aimed at him. He couldn’t react fast enough to any of them, but he felt like he was being cornered. 

“Is there something special hidden in the lines? A theme I missed? Somehow, the bond of the two escaped me.”   
Ace’s questions looked like they were focusing more on himself, in a way he was projecting his thoughts before him. Announcing whatever had come to mind, the boy seemed to be more and more distressed.   
“When and why? Sabo, why are you in love with Boa?”

Ace firmly slammed his hand on the table, tears welled in his eyes, but he refused to make them fall as they just glazed the rim. Still, leaning forward into the blond boy’s space. 

Sabo had gathered what was happening and came to his own conclusion to what was going on. He readied his own heart to reply, not wanting to confirm what Ace was saying, but knew he had to confront it. His palms were covered with sweat, he wiped them away and held the ends of his recently untucked shirt. Clearing his throat, and despite his state of emotions, answered with a brave tone.

“If this is because you are worried about competition, you don’t have to. Ace, the fact that you are acting this way only saddens me because I wish you could trust me.”  
He takes his time to think, then continue with his speech. Perhaps those countless hours that he spent in debate prepared him for this.   
“If you thought that I would steal away Hancock, as your best friend, I wish you told me your feelings sooner so we could dispel any misconceptions. I harbor no feelings for her, so you should have no fear. Our friendship means more to me than anything, and I would never throw it away over a girl.” 

The two exchanged looks, Sabo sported a look that Ace couldn’t quite decipher, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. Ace himself was rather confused, he tried to find words to complete his thoughts but was unsure of what to say next. 

“Uh... Sabo? You don’t like Boa?”

Ace tilted his head to the side, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. Sabo, not expecting that question, mimicked Ace’s puzzled movements.

“No, was that not clear?”

“Kinda- not really.” He admitted, “but uh... I don’t like Boa either, where did that come from?”

The blond had tensed his palms into balls, ill prepared to answer. “Well, I guess we both jumped to conclusions, I just assumed since you were speaking so... kindly of her the other day.” 

“I was just testing the waters. I- uh. Wanted to know your type of girl, so i just went with the prettiest one at school.” Ace had calmed himself, realizing his past actions now made no sense. He blew up for nothing, not only that, he gave his crush the wrong signals. All based on jealousy, which could have been avoided if he was more straightforward.   
He wiped his face and groaned a bit, cursing his own self destructiveness. 

Biting into his lip, he knew what he had to do now, or more accurately- what he had to say.  
He had to stop pulling punches and get right down to it.  
“So the poem, who was it really about?”

A pause. Sabo searched in the depths of his thoughts, looking toward the ceiling and obviously distressed. The inside of his mind circled around the obvious answer, not sure if Ace was ready to hear it, or if he was ready to admit it out loud.   
“You... really want to know so badly?”

“Yes of course!” Ace’s voice rose, he could sense determination radiating off of him.

“Why? Why are you so eager to find out?”  
Sabo questioned as he rubbed his arm in comfort, still unable to spit out his words.

“Because I want to know who it is so I can make sure they are not some dumb idiot,” He sounded a bit harsh, but after quickly realizing this, he softened his tone. “I just want to protect you, is all. From people who don’t deserve you.” 

“It’s not like I’m a kid anymore Ace,” He casted his eyes downward, holding his breath for a second. No... he couldn’t say it just yet, not right now. He chuckled a bit, laughing off the severity of his sentence prior.  
“Besides, dumb idiots are kind of endearing, don’t you think?”

“I’m more into the smart type of guy.”

“Guy?” Sabo heard that correctly, he knew he did. It couldn’t be just wishful thinking. 

Ace, instead of answering, pretended not hear hear what Sabo had repeated. He moved around the table to confront Sabo more head on,and became more adamant.   
“So who is the dumb idiot? I don’t mean them harm, I just... want to help my bro out.” 

“R-right.” Sabo peered to the bottom corner of his eye, resting them on the rims and setting his focus on the floor. His bottom lip was sucked back into his mouth and he chewed and bit it a bit till it bled. “But something tells me you won’t like the answer.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” As he stated that, a tiny step was taken back. Maybe he already knew that Sabo had liked him and this was because he was creeped out. Defending himself from some weirdo like himself, he has expected him to be repulsed by his feelings, but Sabo has to say it.

“That’s because the idiot is you. I like Portgas D. ace.” A pout formed right when he admitted it, like he just bit into a sour lemon. He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side. Ace had stayed rather quiet, which was another thing Sabo assumed would happen. 

Even though he knew this feeling was ripping his insides up for keeping it a secret, part of him wish he never let it surface. Losing Ace, over a dumb crush, was the worst and most prominent outcome at this point. He knew this, yet he still opened his damned mouth.   
Basking in the uncomfortable silence that had settled between the two, he realized that sometimes living with no regrets had its consequences. 

“Are you joking with me, Sabo?”  
Ace quietly asked, but he didn’t dare look back at him.

“Uh- well if you want to say I am joking, we can go with that and forget I ever said anything.”   
The blond began picking his belongings and setting them back into his rucksack; without causing much of a commotion he slipped past Ace. 

When the other boy saw that he was prepping to leave he stopped and started to converse with him again.   
“Since when? For how long?”

“Geez, you always ask so many questions when you want to know something.” Sabo retorted in defense, his annoyed tone only present because he felt like he was being mocked. “I know what I said is probably awkward, you don’t have to feign interest in the subject, really I’ll just go.” 

“Sabo don’t.” 

A hand reached out for his, a soft warm hand. It held his weary palm and tightened, a feeling Sabo was sure he would never experience. A familiar hand that would greet him often in his youth when another young and rough boy like himself wanted to show him around. Something that long ago was more acceptable because they were just a couple of kids who were attached to each other with a sort of kinship. Back then when it was easier to hold onto Ace and hug him, all while saying ‘I love you’ and he wouldn’t misinterpret it. But right now, whatever Sabo said meant more and he couldn’t help it.

Sabo looked back, his eyes met the boy of his childhood dreams. An ace that grew well into his body, one who was more muscled and had sharp features. An Ace that a child Sabo would daydream about; a prince that would take him away from all his worries.   
Whatever Sabo was about to say could never be taken back, and he could care less.

“I love you.”  
“And I’m sorry.”

Ace pulled him closer, warmth traveling between the two as they embraced.   
Sabo felt like an idiot, Ace was more than accepting of course, but he still had something in his brain telling him he was being pitied. Tears welled in his eyes, he stayed silent as they dropped, but he gripped the back of Ace’s shirt into a crumpled mess.   
He was still silent on the matter, so that meant this was unrequited as he has speculated. At least until he heard the speechless boy finally break.

“Thank you for loving me Sabo.”  
“Actually I think I am lucky that it happened like this because I love you too.” 

With the confession underway, in order to not ruin the moment, they pretended not to hear the laugh of the sleeping Luffy nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes sorry for taking so long :*


End file.
